Every year something tragic happens centered around a hazing activity, especially on college campuses. When these things happen, we are reminded that hazing is sick and foolish tradition, which has never positively impacted anyone.
We don’t often hear of people leaving the Greek house saying, “Jeez, thank God my frat brothers love me enough to paddle me raw,” or “wow, how could I have ever been one of them if they hadn’t forced me to almost kill myself drinking.” This is because no one ever feels like this after being hazed. Yet, people continue to subject themselves to it all the time. We see it in high schools and colleges all over the country and, despite the stigma around hazing, tragic things continue to happen.
If it wasn’t already clear, anyone who has blatant disregard for your physical health is not a good friend to have.  Furthermore, anyone who feels pressured enough to subject themselves to physical and mental abuse in the name of brotherhood or sisterhood has a skewed perception on how relationships work.
Relationships should be beneficial for all parties, and hazing lacks the important give and take aspect crucial to relations. Hazers get the pleasure of power and you get embarrassment and anguish.
Hazing is often seen as a rite of passage and an avenue to acceptance. However, any benefits gained from being hazed, such as acceptance or friendship, are bought with a heavy price. To make matters worse, people who are hazed are expected to continue the tradition of hazing, which can usually be in conflict with many people’s personal morals. 
It’s hard to imagine it feels good and right to force someone to drink themselves to death or near death. Anyone who derives pleasure from these kinds of  activities can only be labeled as sadistic. Many forms of hazing usually violate personal privacy and boundaries that are essential to uphold in a moral society.
If a productive relationship requires mutual benefit for all parties, then participating in hazing or allowing yourself to be hazed is not a healthy relationship.
The imposing nature of hazing can make it difficult to resist the tradition, and this idea of not being able to say no is a popular one on campuses today. The popular phrase often used by victims of hazing is “you don’t understand, you can’t say no.” Nothing could be more further from the truth.
There is nothing stopping you from saying no to subjecting yourself to hazing. The worse thing that can happen is rejection from the group, and no one can physically harm you for saying no or trying to leave. In fact, you are potentially putting your safety at greater risk by being around such stupidity.
By allowing yourself to be hazed, you are allowing yourself to be controlled in the name of a group. The solution is to simply walk away from any of this or refuse to join these groups in the first place. They are not worth a single minute of your time if they condone or promote behavior such as hazing.
It is hard to blame anyone but yourself for the results of hazing if you willingly participate. Have respect for yourself and take responsibility of your own well-being by refusing to be hazed. To be able to say no, it is important to realize hazing is a mechanism used by weak-minded, controlling people who derive pleasure from suffering in the name of camaraderie. Don’t allow yourself to be broken down by someone who wants to mold you in their vision for you.
Hazing is just another excuse for animalistic and tribalistic people to trample down the weak. From this position of power, they weaken institutions they are trying to uphold and better by hazing in the first place.
However, Greek organizations will inevitably destroy themselves by hazing someone too vigorously. They seem to be gluttons for trouble by continuously engaging in a practice that serves such little purpose.
These groups forfeit so much and gain so little in the process. Any positive impact these groups can have on individuals and society go to waste because of a frivolous practice. If these organizations truly care about their impact on society, they should give up this asinine part of their tradition.
Jacob Maranto is 21-year-old mass communication senior form Plaquemine, Louisiana.